head-on
Americanadjective
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(of two objects) meeting with the fronts or heads foremost.
a head-on collision.
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facing the direction of forward motion or alignment; frontal.
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characterized by direct opposition.
a head-on confrontation.
adverb
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with the front or head foremost, especially in a collision.
She stepped out of the front door and walked head-on into her husband.
adverb
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with the front or fronts foremost
a head-on collision
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with directness or without compromise
in his usual head-on fashion
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With the face or front first, as in The two bicycles collided head on . [Early 1800s]
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In direct conflict, in open opposition, as in They decided to meet the opposition head on .
Etymology
Origin of head-on
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Using drone technology, the research team recorded sperm whales colliding head-on while also observing their surrounding social behavior.
From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026
“In fact, we believe hyperscalers are more likely to attempt head-on competition, going after GPU cloud business as the natural adjacency to traditional cloud,” which could cannibalize CoreWeave’s business.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026
Ben Wang delivers a breakthrough performance in the title role as a kid who tries to conquer his anxiety issues head-on by running for class president.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
The Huelva-Madrid train collided head-on with a train travelling from Madrid on route to Malaga.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
I had “unfinished business” there, and I needed to deal with it head-on.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.